You’ll feel it in Q3. You should have hired in Q1.
Q3 is your busiest quarter. You know this because Q3 is always your busiest quarter.
And every year, you start Q3 understaffed because you didn’t hire in Q2. Capacity planning is a math problem with a 6-week hiring lag built in. If you wait to feel the pain, you’re already 6 weeks behind.
The scenario:
You want to build a capacity forecast model that tells you when to start hiring before your team is overwhelmed.
The prompt:
You’re creating a quarterly capacity forecast.
Data: [paste your ticket volume by month for the past 12 months, current headcount, and growth pipeline]
Build a model that:
Projects ticket volume for the next quarter based on seasonality and client growth
Calculates required engineer hours vs. available capacity
Accounts for PTO, training, and non-billable time
Identifies the week where demand exceeds supply
Works backward to determine when to start the hiring process (accounting for recruiting timeline)
Flags if contractor or temporary support is needed as a bridge
Present as a one-page visual with the key decision date highlighted.